The Irish standard., 1887-10-01
PISTOLS AND RIFLES.
Valuable Information About Weapons OF
Snort and Death.

Valuable Information About Weapons OF
Sport and Death.
..There have been pistols enough
sold in the last ten years to arm the
male population of the United States,
and if every man and big boy in the
country has not got one it must be
because the cheap pistols don't last
long enough to be handed down as
heirlooms. So spoke the manager of
famous house in the firearms busi-
ness on Maiden lane.
els the demand for pistols increas-
ing in proportion to the increase of
population?'
Il am glad to say that it is not, es-
pecially in the South, where it has
heretofore been the rule for the male
sex to go armed, and where the
crack of the revolver has too often been
the umpire in argument. The authori-
ties in several Southern States have ap-
parently seen the necessity of placing
some restraint on the carrying of dead
Iy weapons, and the preponderance of
public sentiment is everywhere
against the indiscriminate practice.
Texas has enacted law imposing six
months Imprisonment and a fine of
$3.50 for carrying a pistol. In Tenn
essee Georgia, Alabama and Arkan-
sas the sale Of pistol cartridges is pro-
hibited. The Northwestern State of
Illinois has very good law, requiring
dealers in pistols to keep a record of
every sale, and to whom sold, as
apotheca ries must do when selling
poisons. This law, of course, facili-
tates the procuring of evidence in
cases OF murder by the use Of pis-
toll"
do you approve of cheap pistols?"
Il do not. The purchaser Of a pistol
desiring a good, durable and trust
worthy weapon should not pay less
than ten dollars, and from that to
fifteen dollars. The vast majority of
pistols are however, Of the seventy
five cent and one dollar quality. There
is probably no danger of explosion in
using such weapons. They are not
likely to burst as the strain is on the
shell and at the breach, and there is
ample strength as general thing to
prevent bursting. But such pistols
soon wear out. Like the razors Hodge
bought at shilling q dozen, they are
manufactured to sell.
'.Do many women buy pistols?"
.'Some respectable women, living
isolated or under circumstances which
justify the apprehension that there may
be need for deadly weapon for use in
defending themselves or their proper
ty. procure pistols. But in such cases
they are very apt to lock the weapon
up in drawer, and not be able to get
at it when they may happen to need it.
AS rule. when woman buys a pistol
she probably has some very serious
idea in her head. Under ordinary cir
cumstances the sex has no inclination
for such weapons.
''The trade in sporting weapons,
added the manager, sis increasing. A
good many more shotguns are sod
than rifles; and Notwithstanding the
thirty-fve per cent. duty, English shot
guns continue in favor, because they
are made by hand and have undergone
thorough Government inspection.
while the American weapon is made
by machinery and is subjected to no
Government test whatever. A good
English shotgun can be procured at
from $25 to $50 a frst-class weapon for
from $75 to 800, but some English
shotguns are sold as low as $40 or $15.
Even these are safe, as far as
bursting is concerned, owing
to the rigid Government in.
spcction. All shotguns imported are
not hand made, as there are two man.
ufacturers in Belgium who use ma
chinery. American shotguns retail
for from $40 to $75 and 800 for the
better grades, the English handmade
goods being able to undersell the
American.
.:In rifles, however, the Americans
hold the market. Their machine-man-
ufactured rifles can not be equaled by
the handiwork of Englishmen, and
American rifles are sold all over the
world. The demand for sporting
rifles has, however, been unfavorably
affected by the indiscriminate slaugh'
ter of large game in the far West
The class of arms sold to buffalo hunt
ers has almost gone out of the market,
owing to the rapid extinction OF the
buffalo,
..These dealers in arms are in favor
of the protection of gane?'
''Emphatically so. and every true
sportsman is. The extinction of game
would mean the cessation Of a demand
for sporting arms.
els game decreasing in the Eastern
and Middle States?"
Il should say not, Judging from the
demand for shotguns and sporting
rifles. The game laws are being made
more and more stringent, and public
,..4:,>,o,+ c,,c+,;oe tho;1. onfOrcQ mont.